Technical Field
Exemplary aspects of the present invention relate to a fixing device and an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function peripheral including the fixing device, the multi-function peripheral having at least two of the copying, printing, and facsimile functions.
Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, or multi-function peripherals having at least two of copying, printing, and facsimile functions include a fixing device that fixes a developer image on a recording medium. The fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a pressing rotator to form a fixing nip through which the recording medium is passed, so that the developer image on the recording medium is fixed with heat and pressure in the fixing nip. Such a fixing device includes a guide for correctly guiding the recording medium to the fixing nip.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a fixing device includes an inlet guide 102, a heating roller 100, and a pressing roller 101. The heating roller 100 and the pressing roller 101 form a fixing nip N9. The inlet guide 102 is disposed on an upstream side of the fixing nip N9 in a sheet conveyance direction. A sheet P is guided and conveyed to the fixing nip N9 by the inlet guide 102 while contacting a leading end contact portion 102a of the inlet guide 102. Thus, the sheet P is conveyed in an S-curved state, and the leading end contact portion 102a cancels out a conveyance speed difference between a front surface and a back surface of the sheet P.